To Make It Count
by Moment For Life
Summary: In the Spring on 1932, Jack and Rose's only daughter marries her love.


**To Make It Count **

**13th_ April 1912_**

''_Well... it's a big world, and I want to see it all before I go. My father was always talking about going to see the ocean. He died in the town he was born in, and never did see it. You can't wait around, because you never know what hand you're going to get dealt next. See, my folks died in a fire when I was fifteen, and I've been on the road since. Something like that teaches you to take life as it comes at you. To make each day count.''_

_Jack's eyes met Rose's over the crowded table. They spoke to each other, wordlessly. She felt the rush inside. The fact that he spoke from his heart meant so much to her._

_She raised her glass._

''_To make it count.''_

**Spring 1932**

He twisted the champagne glass between his index finger and his thumb. His hair was gelled back, he had pulled out the finest suit which he owned and his heart was swelled with such love. He felt a hand in his lap, it was Rose. He grabbed her hand and they linked fingers without even so much of a glance.

He breathed through his nerves and seconds later a ting alerted him to stand. He still held onto his wife's hand with his glass in the other. He looked around the room of familiar faces; neighbours, colleagues, friends and his family. His son eldest son Michael was nineteen, he sat next to his mother, their youngest son Alan was thirteen. He sat beside Jack, playing with a napkin. Then there was the bride, his own daughter Sarah. She was just seventeen. The age his Rose was when they met. She had been courting Will for two summers and he worshipped her and this afternoon he had given her away. Now she was a married woman – with another surname and she had joined two families.

He focused on Sarah, she sat exactly opposite. The mirror image of her Mother and for a split second he was glancing across that dining table on Titanic at Rose at that age. Her hair was long and red, her skin as translucent as her mothers and then she possessed his eyes. She couldn't help but smile, her hand gripping her new husbands and for a moment he felt the possessive fatherly tug he always had towards his only daughter. Sure, he loved his boys but the bond between that of a father and daughter was one which he never fully prepared himself for and now she had married.

He and Rose had married a week after they stepped off the Titanic. A year and half later, their first son had arrived. That had been twenty years ago. Jack was now a forty year old man, with a family, a home and everything he had ever wished for in life.

When he had married Rose, they had nothing. Just a priest who was willing to marry them free of charge, who was so sure he had witnessed true love right before his own eyes that cold day in New York City. They hadn't worn fancy clothes and he hadn't presented her with a diamond. To this day she wore the same simple gold band she had accepted the day she had become his wife. They had spent the first year taking odd jobs and travelling to wherever their heart contented. They belonged to each other and would face whatever came their way. Months later, Rose had given birth to their first son Michael when they had settled in Santa Monica which would remain their home for the next eighteen years. Sarah had followed shortly after. The curious child who followed her brother almost everywhere and now she was old enough to have her own children.

''_Ladies and gentlemen I should probably make you aware from the very start that I lack any real practical experience as a speaker. I hope you will forgive me therefore if this speech is not as professional as the ones that are to follow as clearly this is a new experience for me._

_I would like to begin by welcoming you all today and thank you for witnessing my girl's wedding._

_Sarah... there have been only a handful of times in my life when I have been absolutely speechless. One was the moment I first laid eyes on your Mother all those years ago, the second was when I saw you today looking absolutely stunning in your wedding dress and the third was when you told me exactly how much it was going to cost me for today._

_Now I believe that tradition dictates that a dad should share a few anecdotes about his daughter. I know that Sarah is particularly nervous about what I may say in this next part of my speech. After all it is part of a father's job description to embarrass his children and I am particularly talented at it. But you can relax Sarah; I'll wait until we are on the dance floor before I start today. Your Mother knows how much I lack skills in dancing..._

_It's is hard though on a day like today not think back to the day she was born. I can still picture it now ladies and gentlemen as if it were yesterday. Michael was almost two and excitement took over when he had an ''accident'' whilst Rose was in labour.''_

He turned to his son. _''You couldn't control the excitement all that well and once she was in a blanket you took one look at her and cried.''_

Michael shook his head. He bit his lip as he laughed at the story he had been told time and time again as a child.

''_When preparing for this speech Rose suggested I should look through some old photographs of the kids for inspiration. One in particular stood out from the others. It was a picture of our little girl lying on a rug, in front of the fire, dribbling, gurgling and trying to take a few wobbly steps._

_Speaking of special Sarah. Your Mother and I are acutely aware of just how blessed we have been to have you in our lives and we hope you are aware just exactly how much we love you and how very proud we are of the lovely young lady you have become. It has been an absolute joy for both your mother and me to watch a very talkative, extremely inquisitive and often clumsy little girl develop into the very beautiful, clever, compassionate and extremely loving young lady that it was my absolute honour and privilege to escort down the aisle today._

_Thankfully she does seem to have inherited most of her better traits from her mother and I am told only a few bad habits from her dad. You seemed to have got your mums kind nature and good looks from me._

_Now like most fathers I was extremely protective of my children and prepared to fend off any potential suitors, especially of my girl. I took the view that no man was good enough for my girl and was in favour of capital punishment for anyone who tried to take them away from me. And so it was in this welcoming atmosphere of open mindedness that we were first introduced to Will.''_

_Sarah placed her head on her new husbands shoulder._

''_From the first day we met him he has been an absolute credit his parents. He was polite, very well mannered and, damn it, an extremely likeable young man. He is the world to my daughter just as I know she is for him._

_I know that tradition dictates that it is at this point that I am supposed to welcome Will today into our family but the truth is that from day one he has been like another son to us. By that I mean he used to leave his clothes all over the house, stay in bed until midday and drink all my beer.''_

_Rose tapped Jack on the arm but the crowd laughed._

''_It certainly didn't take long for us to notice that Sarah was really smitten by this young man and when he started letting me beat him at golf and started complimented Rose on her cooking we knew he was getting serious too._

_And then came the day that still brings a lump to my throat when I recollect how Will took me to one side and told me he was in love with my daughter and he planned to marry her – with my permission. _

_You often wonder as a parent just how well your children will turn out. You wonder what sort of life decisions they will make especially those that you have no control over. What friends will they choose? Who will they pick as a partner to share their life with? Will that person love and care for them as well as you would? Will you approve?_

_Well for what it's worth Sarah, your Mother and I think you have made a brilliant choice. Please remember, my darling, you are still my little girl. The red haired curious child whose hair I would braid before bed, who cuddled you through those nightmares and who will love you forever through the trials and tribulations of your life. _

_Sarah and Will, May your marriage be a truly happy one, may you begin with an unforgettable honeymoon in Hawaii and may you have a long and wonderful life together._

_It is my very great pleasure to propose the first to raise my glass...''_

He felt himself shake. He stared over the table at his daughter, from his wife to his sons and back. It had been twenty years the last time he had proposed a toast. Or at least Rose had.

_To make it count._ She had said.

He turned to her and in the moment, she was seventeen again. She had bore their children, became his wife and given him more love and support he could have ever wished for. He reached out to her and she stood with him. He placed his arm around her shoulders and held her to him.

''_To Sarah and Will...make it count...like your Mother and I.''_

A series of clinks followed, voices crept back in and Jack kissed Rose's forehead. ''Our baby girl has grown up.'' He whispered. He felt her nod.

''Michael is at university and soon Alan will be their age.'' Jack raised his eyebrows. ''Where have the years gone? Where have our children gone?''

Rose grabbed Jack's hand. She felt the grip tighten. ''Jack, our children will always be our children but they will grow to have their own lives soon.'' She hesitated for a moment. ''But for now...there is something else I need you to know.''

He pulled her close to him as she whispered in his ear. ''We are to have another baby.'' At that moment, he realised she had placed his hand on her stomach. Something which she had done when they had found out of her previous pregnancies. A grin played at the corners of his lips, she shushed him right away.

''You are pregnant?!''

She nodded quickly. ''Yes. But let's now talk later, it is our daughter's wedding day.''

He shook his head in disbelief. She rested against him and sighed in complete contentment. Her only daughter danced the night away with her husband; her two sons stood together, both their fathers image and with Jack's hand on her stomach. She felt the kick for the first time.

''We really did well, Rose. I remember that night you raised your glass. I never thought I would have this moment right here.''

She said nothing. They had both learned over the years that neither of them needed words to express their love for the other.

''I would love another daughter.'' He whispered.

His luck was in. Maggie was born soon after.

**Can I just say how much I would literally _kill_ ****for something like this to have happened in the movie or to see something like this happen afterwards :( I really would love to see what Rose and Jack's kids would look like!**

**Hope you like it and it puts a smile on your face, whatever you maybe doing today :)**

**Also I was stuck for a title. It originally was ''Raise your glass or Raise A glass'' but then the Make it Count theme seemed to run through it so I went with that so if you think Raise A glass sounds better please let me know and I will change it cos I know so many fics are called Make it count...**


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